Improvement in pile



2 Sheets--Sheet1.

m. McDERMOTT.

Pile-Driver.

Patented Ma 11,1875.

gave-122501 v THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTD'L TH.39&4Y PARK PLAQLNAA MARTINMODERMOTT, or GALVESTON, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FILE-DRIVERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,226, dated May 11,1875; application filed January 22, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,-MABT1N MGDERMOTT, of Galveston, Galveston county,State of Texas, have invented an Improvement in Pile- Drivers, of whichthe following is a specification:

My invention consists in a peculiar device for releasing the drivinghammer or weight when lifted, and engaging it for lifting; and itfurther consists in a device for advancing the machine longitudinally asthe work progresses.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piledriver embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the hammer-ways,the hammer itself, and its lifting and releasing device, illustratingplainly parts which it is impracticable to show in Fig. 1, owing to thesmallness of the latter figure.

The base A, as shown in Fig. 1, does not exist in practice, and may besimply assumed to represent the face of the earth into which the pilesare to be driven. WVhen the machine is first put to work on a job ofpiledriving for dock-walls, railroad-track, or other use, it issupported for the first few piles upon the earth itself, or on atemporary foundation but, as the work progresses, the piles B, asdriven, become the foundation to support the machine, and form the trackover which the machine moves to progress with the work, the cross-ties Oof the piles directly receiving the foundation-beams of the machine, andthe temporary blocks D preserving them from lateral displacement.

The derrick or main frame E is composed of foundation-beams e, extendingbeams or poles e, and tie-rods e, in the latter of which the tightenerse are used to line up and stiffen the structure. F G H I represent,respectively, the handle, gear-wheels, and drum of the Windlass, and Jthe lifting-rope. Staging K may be suspended from the works for theoperators to stand on. A portable beam, L, is provided, armed with ahook, Z, at its forward end to engage over the crossties G. In this beaman idler-pulley, M, is located, over which a rope from the Windlass maypass to be attached to the back end of the frame E, for the purpose ofenabling the Windlass to propel the machine forward after the driving ofall the piles within its lateral play. To a central bolt, N, at the topof the derrick, the slides or ways 0 O for the hammer P are attachedloosely, so as to swing laterally upon it as a center, and outward atthe bottom from the derrick, to enable the ways to be disengagedlongitudinally (or in the direction of the progress of the work) fromthe head of the last pile driven, and adjusted laterally for the drivingof the next pile at the side of the last one driven. To secure the waysat the bottom a curved beam, Q, is used, against which the ways swing, apin, B, serving to se cure them when adjusted. Yokes B, through thelower one of which the pin B passes, connect the ways firmly together.Staples (0, for the insertion of a bar, I), at any point in the verticalheight of the ways, are provided, the bar serving, as hereinafterdescribed, to release the hammer, and the location of the bardetermining the height of fall. The sides of the hammer P are grooved tofit the ways 0 O, and a slide, S, is fitted to move in the same ways.The slide S carries the nippers T T by means of connecting-pins t t, thelower one of which forms a pivot, on which the nippers open and close.The springs Y, yoked together at the top by wire t, and secured at thebottom to the jaws T T of the nippers, tend to expand the jaws. Thehammer P carries the permanent jaws U, which receive the nippers, theopening to the jaws and the passage from them being flaring, as shown.The hammer also carries a lever, V, pivoted to joint IV, and kept in thedirection of the opening between jaws U by spring X. The top of thelever V is sharpened to enter the jaws T T.

The weight of slide S, when the rope is lowered, causes the jaws of thenippers to enter the jaws U, and the spring X, which gives as the jaws Tdescend, rises again when the projections c are below the narrow passageof jaws U, so as to force the lever between the jaws T, and lock them tojaws U. In this position the hammer is supported for lifting; but assoon as the end of lever V strikes a bar, I), it is caused to compressthe spring X,

and allow the nippers to contract and escape, pulley M, connected andoperating substanand the weight to fall. tially as and for the purposespecified.

I claim- In testimony of which invention I hereunto 1. The combinationof slide S, weight P, set my hand. spring-nippers T T Y Y c c, jaws U U,lever V, and spring X, operating substantially as and for the purposespecified. Witnesses:

2. In combination with the portable frame FRANK MILLWARD, E and WindlassF G H I J, the beam L l and J. L. WARTMANN.

MARTIN MGDERMOTT.

